Alina Habba, counselor to President Trump, said she expected Gabbard and other picks to be confirmed. The nominees “are the people he selected for a reason,” she said on Fox N

In 2020, then-Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard introduced legislation calling on the federal government to drop all charges against Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency contractor who in 2013 revealed the existence of the bulk collection of American phone records by the NSA before fleeing to Russia.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick to be Director of National Intelligence, refused to call Edward Snowden a traitor at her confirmation hearing.

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s pick to be the US spy chief, ran into bipartisan criticism over an episode from the past — her championing of Edward Snowden, who rocked the intelligence world 12 years ago with his disclosure of top-secret US spy programs.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he was “surprised” that director of national intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard refused to call former NSA contractor Edward Snowden a “traitor” after being repeatedly pressed on the question at a Thursday hearing.

Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump ’s nominee for director of national intelligence, was repeatedly asked to explain why she sought a pardon for Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who leaked thousands of classified documents revealing the scope of the nation’s surveillance programs.

Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, refused to fully denounce the 2013 leaks by Edward J. Snowden, eliciting concern from both parties.